102nd season in franchise history
The 2021 season was the Arizona Cardinals ' 102nd season in the National Football League (NFL), their 34th in Arizona and their third under head coach Kliff Kingsbury . They improved from their 8–8 season from the previous year with a 23–13 victory over the Seattle Seahawks in Week 11. The Cardinals started 7–0 for the first time in 47 years when they were based in St. Louis. With their week 11 win over their division rivals, the Seattle Seahawks, the Cardinals improved on their record from the previous year and clinched their first winning season since 2015 . Despite a loss to the Indianapolis Colts in Week 16, the Cardinals clinched a playoff berth for the first time since 2015 after the Minnesota Vikings lost to the Los Angeles Rams .
Despite an impressive 7–0 start and acquiring All-Pros J. J. Watt and A. J. Green prior to the season starting, the team suffered their second consecutive late-season collapse, only winning four out of their last ten games, resulting in them losing their lead in the division and dropping to the fifth seed. In the Wild Card playoffs, the Cardinals fell to the rival Los Angeles Rams on their way to win Super Bowl LVI .
In the offseason, cornerback Patrick Peterson left in free agency after 10 years, and wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald chose not to sign with any team after 17 years with the franchise.[ 1]
Roster changes
Player re-signed by the Cardinals
Player not re-signed by the Cardinals
Signings
Trades
Draft
Notes
Staff
2021 Arizona Cardinals staff
Front office
Owner – Michael Bidwill
Chairman/president – Michael Bidwill
General manager – Steve Keim
Vice president of player personnel – Quentin Harris
Vice president of pro scouting – Adrian Wilson
Vice president of football operations & facilities – Matt Caracciolo
Director of player personnel – Dru Grigson
Director of college scouting – Chris Culmer
Director of football administration – Matt Harriss Head coaches
Offensive coaches
Defensive coaches
Special teams coaches
Assistant special teams – Devin Fitzsimmons Strength and conditioning
Strength and conditioning – Buddy Morris
Assistant strength and conditioning – Mark Naylor
Final roster
Preseason
The Cardinals' preseason schedule was announced on May 12.[ 8]
Regular season
Schedule
The Cardinals' 2021 schedule was announced on May 12.[ 8]
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.
Game summaries
Week 1: at Tennessee Titans
Game information
First quarter
ARI – Matt Prater 34-yard field goal, 9:26. Cardinals 3–0. Drive: 8 plays, 45 yards, 4:05.
ARI – DeAndre Hopkins 5-yard pass from Kyler Murray (Matt Prater kick), 8:18. Cardinals 10–0. Drive: 3 plays, 1 yards, 0:19. Second quarter
ARI – DeAndre Hopkins 17-yard pass from Kyler Murray (Matt Prater kick), 11:03. Cardinals 17–0. Drive: 9 plays, 70 yards, 4:32.
TEN – Ryan Tannehill 1-yard run (kick failed), 6:54. Cardinals 17–6. Drive: 11 plays, 75 yards, 4:09.
ARI – Kyler Murray 2-yard run (Matt Prater kick), 1:49. Cardinals 24–6. Drive: 12 plays, 75 yards, 5:06. Third quarter
TEN – A. J. Brown 13-yard pass from Ryan Tannehill (Michael Badgley kick), 12:59. Cardinals 24–13. Drive: 2 plays, 32 yards, 0:47.
ARI – Christian Kirk 26-yard pass from Kyler Murray (Matt Prater kick), 10:45. Cardinals 31–13. Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 2:15.
ARI – Christian Kirk 11-yard pass from Kyler Murray (Matt Prater kick), 3:11. Cardinals 38–13. Drive: 4 plays, 33 yards, 2:12. Fourth quarter
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
Week 2: vs. Minnesota Vikings
Game information
First quarter
Second quarter
MIN – Justin Jefferson 14-yard pass from Kirk Cousins (kick failed, wide right), 8:56. Vikings 20–7. Drive: 9 plays, 84 yards, 5:18.
ARI – Kyler Murray 12-yard run (Matt Prater kick), 3:15. Vikings 20–14. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 5:41.
ARI – Rondale Moore 77-yard pass from Kyler Murray (Matt Prater kick), 1:33. Cardinals 21–20. Drive: 1 play, 77 yards, 0:13.
MIN – Greg Joseph 52-yard field goal, 0:21. Vikings 23–21. Drive: 8 plays, 41 yards, 1:12.
ARI – Matt Prater 62-yard field goal, 0:00. Cardinals 24–23. Drive: 3 plays, 22 yards, 0:21. Third quarter
MIN – Nick Vigil 36-yard interception return (Greg Joseph kick), 14:00. Vikings 30–24.
ARI – A. J. Green 9-yard pass from Kyler Murray (Matt Prater kick), 9:11. Cardinals 31–30. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 4:49. Fourth quarter
MIN – Greg Joseph 52-yard field goal, 14:12. Vikings 33–31. Drive: 10 plays, 35 yards, 4:17.
ARI – Matt Prater 27-yard field goal, 4:25. Cardinals 34–33. Drive: 10 plays, 55 yards, 4:26.
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
Week 3: at Jacksonville Jaguars
Week 3: Arizona Cardinals at Jacksonville Jaguars – Game summary
Quarter
1
2
3 4 Total
Cardinals 7
0
17 7 31
Jaguars
0
13
6 0 19
at TIAA Bank Field , Jacksonville, Florida
Date : September 26Game time : 1:00 p.m. EDT /10:00 a.m. MSTGame weather : Sunny, 80 °F (27 °C)Game attendance : 58,012Referee : Shawn Smith TV announcers (Fox) : Gus Johnson, Aqib Talib and Megan OliviRecap , Game Book
Game information
First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
ARI – Matt Prater 34-yard field goal, 7:38. Jaguars 13–10. Drive: 12 plays, 68 yards, 4:47.
JAX – James Robinson 4-yard run (kick failed, wide right), 3:33. Jaguars 19–10. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 4:05.
ARI – James Conner 4-yard run (Matt Prater kick), 1:21. Jaguars 19–17. Drive: 5 plays, 75 yards, 2:12.
ARI – Byron Murphy 29–yard interception return (Matt Prater kick), 0:24. Cardinals 24–19. Fourth quarter
ARI – James Conner 1-yard run (Matt Prater kick), 6:49. Cardinals 31–19. Drive: 11 plays, 65 yards, 6:52.
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
The Cardinals earned their first 3–0 start since 2015 .
Week 4: at Los Angeles Rams
Game information
First quarter
Second quarter
ARI – Maxx Williams 14-yard pass from Kyler Murray (Matt Prater kick), 10:44. Cardinals 14–10. Drive: 11 plays, 75 yards, 5:08.
ARI – James Conner 1-yard run (Matt Prater kick), 8:44. Cardinals 21–10. Drive: 5 plays, 21 yards, 1:51.
LAR – Matt Gay 22-yard field goal, 3:22. Cardinals 21–13. Drive: 9 plays, 48 yards, 3:19.
ARI – Matt Prater 23-yard field goal, 0:04. Cardinals 24–13. Drive: 17 plays, 70 yards, 3:18. Third quarter
ARI – Matt Prater 55-yard field goal, 10:15. Cardinals 27–13. Drive: 10 plays, 38 yards, 4:45.
ARI – James Conner 1-yard run (Matt Prater kick), 1:14. Cardinals 34–13. Drive: 9 plays, 64 yards, 5:09. Fourth quarter
ARI – Matt Prater 23-yard field goal, 3:38. Cardinals 37–13. Drive: 12 plays, 94 yards, 8:27.
LAR – Robert Woods 14-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Matt Gay kick), 1:14. Cardinals 37–20. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 2:24.
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
With the win, the Cardinals not only improved to 4–0 for the first time since 2012 , but earned their first victory over the Rams since Week 17 of the 2016 season. Also, with the Broncos, the Raiders, and the Panthers losing their first games of the season, the Cardinals became the last undefeated team in the NFL.
Week 5: vs. San Francisco 49ers
Week 5: San Francisco 49ers at Arizona Cardinals – Game summary
Quarter
1
2
3 4 Total
49ers
0
0
7 3 10
Cardinals 7
3
0 7 17
at State Farm Stadium, Glendale, Arizona
Game information
First quarter
Second quarter
ARI – Matt Prater 21-yard field goal, 5:27. Cardinals 10–0. Drive: 14 plays, 96 yards, 5:59. Third quarter
Fourth quarter
ARI – DeAndre Hopkins 9-yard pass from Kyler Murray , (Matt Prater kick) 5:13. Cardinals 17–7. Drive: 5 plays, 52 yards, 2:36.
SF – Joey Slye 47-yard field goal, 4:12. Cardinals 17–10. Drive: 6 plays, 46 yards, 1:01.
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
Week 6: at Cleveland Browns
Week 6: Arizona Cardinals at Cleveland Browns – Game summary
Quarter
1
2
3 4 Total
Cardinals 7
16
7 7 37
Browns
0
14
0 0 14
at FirstEnergy Stadium , Cleveland, Ohio
Date : October 17Game time : 4:05 p.m. EDT/1:05 p.m. MSTGame weather : Cloudy, 58 °F (14 °C)Game attendance : 67,431Referee : Carl Cheffers TV announcers (Fox) : Kevin Kugler, Mark Sanchez and Laura OkminRecap , Game Book
Game information
First quarter
Second quarter
ARI – DeAndre Hopkins 13-yard pass from Kyler Murray, (Matt Prater kick), 14:49. Cardinals 14–0. Drive: 11 plays, 78 yards, 4:41.
ARI – Matt Prater 36-yard field goal, 13:02. Cardinals 17–0. Drive: 4 plays, 0 yards, 0:51.
ARI – Matt Prater 51-yard field goal, 9:24. Cardinals 20–0. Drive: 4 plays, -5 yards, 2:07.
CLE – Donovan Peoples-Jones 11-yard pass from Baker Mayfield , (Chase McLaughlin kick), 5:06. Cardinals 20–7. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 4:18.
ARI – Matt Prater 33-yard field goal, 0:43. Cardinals 23–7. Drive: 12 plays, 56 yards, 4:23.
CLE – Donovan Peoples-Jones 57-yard pass from Baker Mayfield, (Chase McLaughlin kick), 0:00. Cardinals 23–14. Drive: 5 plays, 75 yards, 0:43. Third quarter
ARI – DeAndre Hopkins 9-yard pass from Kyler Murray, (Matt Prater kick), 2:56. Cardinals 30–14. Drive: 8 plays, 54 yards, 3:30. Fourth quarter
ARI – A. J. Green 14-yard pass from Kyler Murray, (Matt Prater kick), 4:48. Cardinals 37–14. Drive: 11 plays, 93 yards, 7:18.
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
The Cardinals started 6–0 for the first time since 1974.
Week 7: vs. Houston Texans
Week 7: Houston Texans at Arizona Cardinals – Game summary
Quarter
1
2
3 4 Total
Texans
2
3
0 0 5
Cardinals 0
17
7 7 31
at State Farm Stadium, Glendale, Arizona
Game information
First quarter
Second quarter
HOU – Ka'imi Fairbairn 53-yard field goal, 14:55. Texans 5–0. Drive: 5 plays, 25 yards, 3:03.
ARI – DeAndre Hopkins 1-yard pass from Kyler Murray (Matt Prater kick), 9:01. Cardinals 7–5. Drive: 14 plays, 75 yards, 5:54.
ARI – Christian Kirk 5-yard pass from Kyler Murray (Matt Prater kick), 2:45. Cardinals 14–5. Drive: 6 plays, 49 yards, 2:58.
ARI – Matt Prater 31-yard field goal, 0:05. Cardinals 17–5. Drive: 8 plays, 61 yards, 1:32. Third quarter
ARI – Zach Ertz 47-yard pass from Kyler Murray (Matt Prater kick), 7:58. Cardinals 24–5. Drive: 7 plays, 88 yards, 3:33. Fourth quarter
ARI – James Conner 18-yard run (Matt Prater kick), 10:22. Cardinals 31–5. Drive: 7 plays, 63 yards, 3:53.
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
The Arizona Cardinals played the Houston Texans at home. This was the first game where former Texans DeAndre Hopkins and JJ Watt played against their former team, as well as tight end Zach Ertz's debut with the Cardinals.
Week 8: vs. Green Bay Packers
Week 8: Green Bay Packers at Arizona Cardinals – Game summary
Quarter
1
2
3 4 Total
Packers 0
10
7 7 24
Cardinals
7
0
7 7 21
at State Farm Stadium, Glendale, Arizona
Game information
First quarter
Second quarter
GB – Aaron Jones 2-yard run (Mason Crosby kick), 12:54. Tied 7–7. Drive: 14 plays, 75 yards, 8:23.
GB – Mason Crosby 21-yard field goal, 6:24. Packers 10–7. Drive: 4 plays, 0 yards, 0:19. Third quarter
GB – Randall Cobb 2-yard pass from Aaron Rodgers (Mason Crosby kick), 11:37. Packers 17–7. Drive: 5 plays, 14 yards, 2:16.
ARI – James Conner 2-yard run (Matt Prater kick), 6:22. Packers 17–14. Drive: 12 plays, 81 yards, 5:15. Fourth quarter
GB – Randall Cobb 6-yard pass from Aaron Rodgers (Mason Crosby kick), 14:56. Packers 24–14. Drive: 12 plays, 91 yards, 6:26.
ARI – James Conner 9-yard run (Matt Prater kick), 10:45. Packers 24–21. Drive: 11 plays, 75 yards, 4:11.
Top passers
GB – Aaron Rodgers – 22/37, 184 yards, 2 TD
ARI – Kyler Murray – 22/33, 274 yards, 2 INT Top rushers
GB – A. J. Dillon – 16 rushes, 78 yards
ARI – Chase Edmonds – 7 rushes, 30 yards, TD Top receivers
The Packers handed the Cardinals their first loss to deny them a perfect season with a 24–21 victory on Thursday Night Football , despite entering the game without their top three wide receivers—Allen Lazard and All-Pro WR Davante Adams missed the game due to COVID protocols, while Marquez Valdes-Scantling was still recovering from a groin injury suffered in Week 3. Kyler Murray had the ball with time winding down, and the ball in field goal range, but a pass intended for wide receiver A. J. Green was picked off in the endzone by Packers cornerback Rasul Douglas , who began the season on the Cardinals practice squad.
Week 9: at San Francisco 49ers
Week 9: Arizona Cardinals at San Francisco 49ers – Game summary
Quarter
1
2
3 4 Total
Cardinals 14
3
14 0 31
49ers
0
7
7 3 17
at Levi's Stadium , Santa Clara, California
Date : November 7Game time : 2:25 p.m. MST/1:25 p.m. PSTGame weather : Scattered clouds, 62 °F (17 °C)Game attendance : 59,012Referee : Brad Allen TV announcers (Fox) : Kevin Kugler, Mark Sanchez and Laura OkminRecap , Game Book
Game information
First quarter
ARI – James Conner 13-yard run (Matt Prater kick), 6:08. Cardinals 7–0. Drive: 9 plays, 57 yards, 4:21.
ARI – James Conner 1-yard run (Matt Prater kick), 0:39. Cardinals 14–0. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 3:59. Second quarter
ARI – Matt Prater 26-yard field goal, 4:02. Cardinals 17–0. Drive: 14 plays, 85 yards, 8:23.
SF – George Kittle 6-yard pass from Jimmy Garoppolo (Robbie Gould kick), 0:16. Cardinals 17–7. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 3:46. Third quarter
ARI – James Conner 45-yard pass from Colt McCoy (Matt Prater kick), 13:33. Cardinals 24–7. Drive: 3 plays, 72 yards, 1:27.
ARI – Eno Benjamin 21-yard run (Matt Prater kick), 8:05. Cardinals 31–7. Drive: 7 plays, 71 yards, 3:47.
SF – Brandon Aiyuk 11-yard pass from Jimmy Garoppolo (Robbie Gould kick), 4:56. Cardinals 31–14. Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 3:09. Fourth quarter
SF – Robbie Gould 26-yard field goal, 8:23. Cardinals 31–17. Drive: 7 plays, 28 yards, 2:34.
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
Despite Kyler Murray and DeAndre Hopkins not playing, the Cardinals dominated the game to sweep the season series for the first time since 2018. With the win, the Cardinals improved to 8–1 and tied their 8-win mark from the previous season.
Week 10: vs. Carolina Panthers
Week 10: Carolina Panthers at Arizona Cardinals – Game summary
Quarter
1
2
3 4 Total
Panthers 17
6
8 3 34
Cardinals
0
0
3 7 10
at State Farm Stadium, Glendale, Arizona
Game information
First quarter
CAR – Cam Newton 2-yard run (Zane Gonzalez kick), 11:12. Panthers 7–0. Drive: 5 plays, 15 yards, 2:22.
CAR – Robby Anderson 2-yard pass from Cam Newton (Zane Gonzalez kick), 8:39. Panthers 14–0. Drive: 4 plays, 41 yards, 1:12.
CAR – Zane Gonzalez 44-yard field goal, 1:00. Panthers 17–0. Drive: 9 plays, 40 yards, 5:25. Second quarter
CAR – Zane Gonzalez 48-yard field goal, 9:40. Panthers 20–0. Drive: 10 plays, 51 yards, 5:09.
CAR – Zane Gonzalez 49-yard field goal, 0:00. Panthers 23–0. Drive: 12 plays, 53 yards, 3:16. Third quarter
Fourth quarter
ARI – James Conner 11-yard run (Matt Prater kick), 9:19. Panthers 31–10. Drive: 11 plays, 71 yards, 4:33.
CAR – Zane Gonzalez 27-yard field goal, 3:26. Panthers 34–10. Drive: 10 plays, 36 yards, 5:53.
Top passers
CAR – P. J. Walker – 22/29, 167 yards, INT
ARI – Colt McCoy – 11/20, 107 yards, INT Top rushers
Top receivers
CAR – Christian McCaffrey – 10 receptions, 66 yards
ARI – Christian Kirk – 7 receptions, 58 yards
Week 11: at Seattle Seahawks
Week 11: Arizona Cardinals at Seattle Seahawks – Game summary
Quarter
1
2
3 4 Total
Cardinals 7
6
3 7 23
Seahawks
0
6
0 7 13
at Lumen Field , Seattle, Washington
Date : November 21Game time : 2:25 p.m. MST/1:25 p.m. PSTGame weather : Partly cloudy, 45 °F (7 °C)Game attendance : 68,833Referee : Clete Blakeman TV announcers (Fox) : Kenny Albert, Jonathan Vilma and Sara WalshRecap , Game Book
Game information
First quarter
Second quarter
SEA – Jason Myers 27-yard field goal, 8:23. Cardinals 7-3. Drive: 7 plays, 36 yards, 2:05.
ARI – Zach Ertz 2-yard pass from Colt McCoy (kick failed, wide right), 1:52. Cardinals 13-3. Drive: 13 plays, 92 yards, 6:31
SEA – Jason Myers 27-yard field goal, 1:05. Cardinals 13-6. Drive: 7 plays, 68 yards, 0:47. Third quarter
ARI – Matt Prater 53-yard field goal, 12:57. Cardinals 16-6. Drive: 5 plays, 25 yards, 2:03. Fourth quarter
SEA – DeeJay Dallas 2-yard run (Jason Myers kick), 7:05. Cardinals 16-13. Drive: 5 plays, 74 yards, 1:51
ARI – James Conner 1-yard run (Matt Prater kick), 2:20. Cardinals 23-13. Drive: 10 plays, 67 yards, 4:45
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
With this win the Cardinals improved to 9-2 and secured their first winning season since 2015.
Week 13: at Chicago Bears
Game information
First quarter
ARI – DeAndre Hopkins 20-yard pass from Kyler Murray (Matt Prater kick), 10:55. Cardinals 7–0. Drive: 4 plays, 28 yards, 2:40.
ARI – Kyler Murray 9-yard run (Matt Prater kick), 1:39. Cardinals 14–0. Drive: 5 plays, 15 yards, 2:12. Second quarter
CHI – David Montgomery 1-yard run (Cairo Santos kick), 8:50. Cardinals 14–7. Drive: 13 plays, 77 yards, 7:49.
ARI – James Conner 23-yard pass from Kyler Murray (Matt Prater kick), 5:40. Cardinals 21–7. Drive: 7 plays, 74 yards, 3:10. Third quarter
ARI – Matt Prater 33-yard field goal, 9:52. Cardinals 24–7. Drive: 9 plays, 51 yards, 5:08.
CHI – Jimmy Graham 1-yard pass from Andy Dalton (Cairo Santos kick), 2:49. Cardinals 24–14. Drive: 13 plays, 73 yards, 7:03. Fourth quarter
ARI – Matt Prater 25-yard field goal, 8:31. Cardinals 27–14. Drive: 6 plays, 21 yards, 3:05.
ARI – Kyler Murray 3-yard run (pass failed), 6:23. Cardinals 33–14. Drive: 2 plays, 12 yards, 0:45.
CHI – Jakeem Grant 8-yard pass from Andy Dalton (Andy Dalton–Jimmy Graham pass), 2:45. Cardinals 33–22. Drive: 12 plays, 75 yards, 3:38.
Top passers
ARI – Kyler Murray – 11/15, 123 yards, 2 TD
CHI – Andy Dalton – 26/41, 229 yards, 2 TD, 4 INT Top rushers
ARI – James Conner – 20 runs, 75 yards
CHI – David Montgomery – 21 rushes, 90 yards, TD Top receivers
ARI – James Conner – 2 receptions, 36 yards, TD
CHI – Jakeem Grant – 5 receptions, 62 yards, TD
Kyler Murray and DeAndre Hopkins returned to the field after the bye and connected for a 21-yard touchdown in the first quarter.
Week 14: vs. Los Angeles Rams
Week 14: Los Angeles Rams at Arizona Cardinals – Game summary
Quarter
1
2
3 4 Total
Rams 0
13
14 3 30
Cardinals
3
10
0 10 23
at State Farm Stadium, Glendale, Arizona
Game information
First quarter
ARI – Matt Prater 53-yard field goal, 10:58. Cardinals 3–0. Drive: 10 plays, 40 yards, 4:02. Second quarter
LAR – Odell Beckham Jr. 2-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Matt Gay kick), 12:53. Rams 7–3. Drive: 10 plays, 68 yards, 5:57.
LAR – Matt Gay 55-yard field goal, 7:23. Rams 10–3. Drive: 8 plays, 34 yards, 2:54.
ARI – James Conner 1-yard run (Matt Prater kick), 3:18. Tied 10–10. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 4:05.
LAR – Matt Gay 35-yard field goal, 0:35. Rams 13–10. Drive: 7 plays, 53 yards, 2:43.
ARI – Matt Prater 53-yard field goal, 0:00. Tied 13–13. Drive: 6 plays, 40 yards, 0:35. Third quarter
LAR – Van Jefferson 52-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Matt Gay kick), 13:36. Rams 20–13. Drive: 3 plays, 75 yards, 1:24.
LAR – Cooper Kupp 4-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Matt Gay kick), 9:45. Rams 27–13. Drive: 7 plays, 19 yards, 3:19. Fourth quarter
ARI – James Conner 8-yard run (Matt Prater kick), 13:38. Rams 27–20. Drive: 6 plays, 73 yards, 3:07.
LAR – Matt Gay 33-yard field goal, 7:20. Rams 30–20. Drive: 10 plays, 60 yards, 6:18.
ARI – Matt Prater 49-yard field goal, 0:37. Rams 30–23. Drive: 11 plays, 56 yards, 2:07.
Top passers
Top rushers
LAR – Sony Michel – 20 rushes, 79 yards
ARI – Kyler Murray – 7 rushes, 61 yards Top receivers
Week 15: at Detroit Lions
Week 15: Arizona Cardinals at Detroit Lions – Game summary
Quarter
1
2
3 4 Total
Cardinals
0
0
6 6 12
Lions 3
14
7 6 30
at Ford Field , Detroit, Michigan
Date : December 19Game time : 1:00 p.m. EST/11:00 a.m. MSTGame weather : None (indoor stadium)Game attendance : 45,211Referee : Land ClarkTV announcers (Fox) : Gus Johnson, Aqib Talib and Megan OliviRecap , Game Book
Game information
First quarter
DET – Riley Patterson 37-yard field goal, 6:10. Lions 3–0. Drive: 15 plays, 63 yards, 8:50. Second quarter
DET – Amon-Ra St. Brown 37-yard pass from Jared Goff (Riley Patterson kick), 14:53. Lions 10–0. Drive: 8 plays, 93 yards, 3:49.
DET – Josh Reynolds 22-yard pass from Jared Goff (Riley Patterson kick), 0:19. Lions 17–0. Drive: 9 plays, 97 yards, 1:40. Third quarter
ARI – Matt Prater 29-yard field goal, 11:22. Lions 17–3. Drive: 9 plays, 64 yards, 3:38.
DET – Jason Cabinda 6-yard pass from Jared Goff (Riley Patterson kick), 8:10. Lions 24–3. Drive: 1 play, 6 yards, 0:05.
ARI – Matt Prater 29-yard field goal, 3:54. Lions 24–6. Drive: 11 plays, 72 yards, 4:16. Fourth quarter
DET – Riley Patterson 47-yard field goal, 13:15. Lions 27–6. Drive: 10 plays, 46 yards, 5:39.
ARI – Christian Kirk 26-yard pass from Kyler Murray (pass failed), 4:40. Lions 27–12. Drive: 12 plays, 87 yards, 3:08.
DET – Riley Patterson 45-yard field goal, 2:46. Lions 30–12. Drive: 6 plays, 19 yards, 1:54.
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
Despite the Cardinals being the favorite to win, the 1-11-1 Detroit Lions blew them out 30-12 in an unexpected loss.
The Lions opened the scoring in the first quarter via a 37-yard field goal by Riley Patterson . The Lions scored 14 points in the second quarter via a 37-yard touchdown pass from Jared Goff to Amon-Ra St. Brown and a 22-yard touchdown pass from Goff to Josh Reynolds , which made the score 17–0 in favor of Detroit at half-time. The Cardinals finally got on the board in the third quarter via a 29-yard field goal by Matt Prater . The Lions extended their lead via a six-yard touchdown pass from Goff to Jason Cabinda . The Cardinals responded with a 29-yard field goal by Prater. The Lions extended their lead in the fourth quarter via a 47-yard field goal by Patterson. The Cardinals responded with a 26-yard touchdown pass from Kyler Murray to Christian Kirk . The Lions scored the final points of the game via a 45-yard field goal by Patterson, making the final score 30–12 in favor of Detroit.
With the loss, Arizona fell to 10-4, marking their only road game loss in 2021.
Week 16: vs. Indianapolis Colts
NFL on Christmas Day
Week 16: Indianapolis Colts at Arizona Cardinals – Game summary
Quarter
1
2
3 4 Total
Colts 7
5
3 7 22
Cardinals
6
0
7 3 16
at State Farm Stadium, Glendale, Arizona
Game information
First quarter
Second quarter
IND – Penalty on Kyler Murray enforced in end zone for a Safety, 4:20. Colts 9–6.
IND – Michael Badgley 41-yard field goal, 0:01. Colts 12–6. Drive: 10 plays, 45 yards, 4:19. Third quarter
ARI – Antoine Wesley 24-yard pass from Kyler Murray (Matt Prater kick), 10:53. Cardinals 13–12. Drive: 3 plays, 42 yards, 1:22.
IND – Michael Badgley 37-yard field goal, 0:03. Colts 15–13. Drive: 10 plays, 56 yards, 5:18. Fourth quarter
IND – Dezmon Patmon 14-yard pass from Carson Wentz (Michael Badgley kick), 6:37. Colts 22–13. Drive: 7 plays, 69 yards, 4:30.
ARI – Matt Prater 28-yard field goal, 0:42. Colts 22–16. Drive: 16 plays, 81 yards, 3:34.
Top passers
Top rushers
IND – Jonathan Taylor – 27 rushes, 108 yards
ARI – Kyler Murray – 4 rushes, 74 yards Top receivers
Week 17: at Dallas Cowboys
Week 17: Arizona Cardinals at Dallas Cowboys – Game summary
Quarter
1
2
3 4 Total
Cardinals 3
10
9 3 25
Cowboys
0
7
0 15 22
at AT&T Stadium , Arlington, Texas
Date : January 2Game time : 3:25 p.m. CST/2:25 p.m. MSTGame weather : None (retractable roof closed)Game attendance : 93,459Referee : Scott Novak TV announcers (Fox) : Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Erin Andrews, and Tom Rinaldi Recap , Game Book
Game information
First quarter
ARI – Matt Prater 24-yard field goal, 7:46. Cardinals 3–0. Drive: 9 plays, 78 yards, 3:12. Second quarter
ARI – Antoine Wesley 1-yard pass from Kyler Murray (Matt Prater kick), 5:27. Cardinals 10–0. Drive: 15 plays, 91 yards, 8:25.
DAL – Michael Gallup 21-yard pass from Dak Prescott (Greg Zuerlein kick), 1:25. Cardinals 10–7. Drive: 11 plays, 77 yards, 4:02.
ARI – Matt Prater 53-yard field goal, 0:00. Cardinals 13–7. Drive: 10 plays, 40 yards, 1:25. Third quarter
ARI – Antoine Wesley 19-yard pass from Kyler Murray (pass failed), 9:39. Cardinals 19–7. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 5:21.
ARI – Matt Prater 26-yard field goal, 4:01. Cardinals 22–7. Drive: 9 plays, 49 yards, 4:44. Fourth quarter
DAL – Cedrick Wilson Jr. 2-yard pass from Dak Prescott (Greg Zuerlein kick), 13:49. Cardinals 22–14. Drive: 8 plays, 31 yards, 2:52.
ARI – Matt Prater 38-yard field goal, 8:32. Cardinals 25–14. Drive: 5 plays, 24 yards, 1:58.
DAL – Amari Cooper 4-yard pass from Dak Prescott (Dak Prescott–Cedrick Wilson Jr. pass), 4:42. Cardinals 25–22. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 3:50.
Top passers
Top rushers
ARI – Chase Edmonds – 18 rushes, 53 yards
DAL – Dak Prescott – 5 rushes, 20 yards Top receivers
With the win, the Cardinals finished a league-best 8–1 on the road.
Week 18: vs. Seattle Seahawks
Week 18: Seattle Seahawks at Arizona Cardinals – Game summary
Quarter
1
2
3 4 Total
Seahawks 7
10
7 14 38
Cardinals
7
3
14 6 30
at State Farm Stadium, Glendale, Arizona
Date : January 9Game time : 2:25 p.m. MSTGame weather : Sunny, 72 °F (22 °C) (retractable roof open)Game attendance : 63,858Referee : Shawn SmithTV announcers (Fox) : Adam Amin, Mark Schlereth and Shannon SpakeRecap , Game Book
Game information
First quarter
Second quarter
ARI – Matt Prater 41-yard field goal, 11:44. Cardinals 10–7. Drive: 19 plays, 66 yards, 10:41.
SEA – Tyler Lockett 5-yard pass from Russell Wilson (Jason Myers kick), 7:41. Seahawks 14–10. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 4:03.
SEA – Jason Myers 38-yard field goal, 1:21. Seahawks 17–10 Drive: 11 plays, 52 yards, 2:19. Third quarter
ARI – James Conner 20-yard pass from Kyler Murray (Matt Prater kick), 11:02. Tied 17–17. Drive: 6 plays, 77 yards, 3:58.
ARI – James Conner 1-yard run (Matt Prater kick), 9:25. Cardinals 24–17. Drive: 2 plays, 1 yard, 0:37.
SEA – Freddie Swain 25-yard pass from Russell Wilson (Jason Myers kick), 1:57. Tied 24–24. Drive: 5 plays, 72 yards, 2:38. Fourth quarter
SEA – Russell Wilson 4-yard run (Jason Myers kick), 13:15. Seahawks 31–24. Drive: 3 plays, 10 yards, 1:45.
ARI – Matt Prater 30-yard field goal, 6:14. Seahawks 31–27. Drive: 14 plays, 67 yards, 7:01.
SEA – Rashaad Penny 62-yard run (Jason Myers kick), 4:34. Seahawks 38–27. Drive: 3 plays, 75 yards, 1:40.
ARI – Matt Prater 36-yard field goal, 1:13. Seahawks 38–30. Drive: 14 plays, 57 yards, 3:21.
Top passers
SEA – Russell Wilson – 15/26, 238 yards, 3 TD, INT
ARI – Kyler Murray – 28/39, 240 yards, TD Top rushers
SEA – Rashaad Penny – 23 rushes, 190 yards, TD
ARI – James Conner – 15 rushes, 52 yards, TD Top receivers
SEA – Tyler Lockett – 5 receptions, 98 yards, 2 TD
ARI – Zach Ertz – 7 receptions, 84 yards
With the loss, the Cardinals finished the season 11–6, earning a Wildcard spot in the 2021–22 NFL playoffs as the 5th seed.
Standings
Division
Conference
#
Team
Division
W
L
T
PCT
DIV
CONF
SOS
SOV
STK
Division winners
1[ b]
Green Bay Packers
North
13
4
0
.765
4–2
9–3
.479
.480
L1
2[ b]
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
South
13
4
0
.765
4–2
8–4
.467
.443
W3
3[ c]
Dallas Cowboys
East
12
5
0
.706
6–0
10–2
.488
.431
W1
4[ c]
Los Angeles Rams
West
12
5
0
.706
3–3
8–4
.483
.409
L1
Wild cards
5
Arizona Cardinals
West
11
6
0
.647
4–2
7–5
.490
.492
L1
6
San Francisco 49ers
West
10
7
0
.588
2–4
7–5
.500
.438
W2
7[ d]
Philadelphia Eagles
East
9
8
0
.529
3–3
7–5
.469
.350
L1
Did not qualify for the postseason
8[ d]
New Orleans Saints
South
9
8
0
.529
4–2
7–5
.512
.516
W2
9
Minnesota Vikings
North
8
9
0
.471
4–2
6–6
.507
.434
W1
10[ e]
Washington Football Team
East
7
10
0
.412
2–4
6–6
.529
.420
W1
11[ e] [ f]
Seattle Seahawks
West
7
10
0
.412
3–3
4–8
.519
.424
W2
12[ e] [ f]
Atlanta Falcons
South
7
10
0
.412
2–4
4–8
.472
.315
L2
13
Chicago Bears
North
6
11
0
.353
2–4
4–8
.524
.373
L1
14
Carolina Panthers
South
5
12
0
.294
2–4
3–9
.509
.412
L7
15
New York Giants
East
4
13
0
.235
1–5
3–9
.536
.485
L6
16
Detroit Lions
North
3
13
1
.206
2–4
3–9
.528
.627
W1
Tiebreakers [ g]
^ Vance Joseph and Jeff Rodgers (Interim HCs for Week 6 after Kingsbury tested positive for COVID-19 )^ a b Green Bay finished ahead of Tampa Bay based on conference record (9–3 vs. 8–4).
^ a b Dallas finished ahead of LA Rams based on conference record (10–2 vs. 8–4).
^ a b Philadelphia finished ahead of New Orleans based on head-to-head victory.
^ a b c Washington finished ahead of Atlanta and Seattle based on head-to-head victories.
^ a b Seattle finished ahead of Atlanta based on win percentage in common games (4–2 vs. 3–3 against: San Francisco, New Orleans, Jacksonville, Washington, and Detroit).
^ When breaking ties for three or more teams under the NFL's rules, they are first broken within divisions, then comparing only the highest-ranked remaining team from each division.
Postseason
Game summaries
NFC Wild Card Playoffs: (5) Arizona Cardinals at (4) Los Angeles Rams – Game summary
Quarter
1
2
3 4 Total
Cardinals
0
0
8 3 11
Rams 7
14
7 6 34
at SoFi Stadium , Inglewood, California
Game information
First quarter
Second quarter
LAR – Matthew Stafford 1-yard run (Matt Gay kick), 11:58. Rams 14–0. Drive: 9 plays, 68 yards, 5:17.
LAR – David Long 3-yard interception return (Matt Gay kick), 7:59. Rams 21–0. Third quarter
Fourth quarter
LAR – Matt Gay 37-yard field goal, 14:55. Rams 31–8. Drive: 7 plays, 50 yards, 4:16.
ARI – Matt Prater 55-yard field goal, 10:13. Rams 31–11. Drive: 10 plays, 38 yards, 4:42.
LAR – Matt Gay 46-yard field goal, 4:21. Rams 34–11. Drive: 9 plays, 61 yards, 5:52.
Top passers
ARI – Kyler Murray – 19/34, 137 yards, 2 INT
LAR – Matthew Stafford – 13/17, 202 yards, 2 TD Top rushers
Top receivers
ARI – Christian Kirk – 6 receptions, 51 yards
LAR – Cooper Kupp – 5 receptions, 61 yards, TD
Statistics
Team
Category
Total yards
Yards per game
NFL rank(out of 32)
Passing offense
4,276
251.5
10th
Rushing offense
2,076
122.1
10th
Total offense
6,352
373.6
8th
Passing defense
2,771
163.0
7th
Rushing defense
1,952
114.8
20th
Total defense
5,597
329.2
11th
Individual
Statistics correct as of the end of the 2021 NFL season [ 10] [ 11]
References
^ Peters, Craig (March 22, 2021). "Vikings Altered Plans on the Fly to Land Patrick Peterson" . Vikings.com . ^ Urban, Darren (March 17, 2021). "Cardinals Make Trade For 3-Time Pro Bowl Center Rodney Hudson" . azcardinals.com . ^ "Vikings Acquire OL Mason Cole in Trade with Cardinals" . www.vikings.com. March 25, 2021.^ "Transactions: Cardinals agree to trade CB TAY GOWAN and 2022 fifth-round pick to Philadelphia Eagles for TE ZACH ERTZ" . October 15, 2021.^ "Cardinals Make Trade For 3-Time Pro Bowl Center Rodney Hudson" . azcardinals.com . March 17, 2021. Retrieved March 17, 2021 .^ Cox, Seth (March 20, 2020). "Arizona Cardinals officially announce trade for DeAndre Hopkins" . SBnation.com . Retrieved March 21, 2020 . ^ "Giants trade Markus Golden to Cardinals for 2021 draft pick" . Giants.com . Retrieved October 26, 2020 .^ a b Urban, Darren (May 12, 2021). "Cardinals Release Official 2021 Schedule" . Arizona Cardinals . Retrieved May 12, 2021 . ^ "New Orleans Saints cancel preseason game vs. Arizona Cardinals as Hurricane Ida looms" . ESPN.com .^ "2021 NFL Team Total Statistics" . ESPN . Retrieved January 10, 2022 .^ "Cardinals Stats" . Arizona Cardinals . Retrieved January 11, 2022 .
External links
Franchise Stadiums Culture Lore Rivalries Division championships (7) Conference championships (1) League championships (2) Retired numbers Current league affiliations
Played in Chicago (1920–1959), St. Louis (1960–1987), and formerly the Phoenix Cardinals (1988–1993)
